The Mumbai Press Club has raised concerns over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s recent remarks labeling journalists as “slaves of their owners” during an election rally in Amravati, Maharashtra. In a statement, the club urged the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha to focus on addressing systemic challenges faced by journalists rather than resorting to dismissive comments.
“While cloaked in concern for journalists, Rahul Gandhi’s remarks carried a tone of condescension that warrants closer scrutiny,” the statement read. It added that criticism should be directed at media owners and the structural flaws within the industry that perpetuate precarious working conditions for journalists.
The club highlighted that many of the struggles faced by journalists today stem from the contractualization of media jobs, a trend linked to neoliberal policies introduced during Congress-led governments in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These policies, it argued, allowed media monopolies to weaken unions and dismiss journalists at will, leaving them vulnerable and unable to challenge the system.
“If Rahul Gandhi genuinely seeks to improve the conditions of journalists, he should critique media ownership practices and structural industry issues rather than target working reporters, who are often at the mercy of these systems,” the club advised.
The statement also drew parallels between Gandhi’s rhetoric and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s avoidance of open press conferences, asserting that both should be criticized. “While Modi is rightly rebuked for evading press interactions, Gandhi’s repeated mockery of journalists also warrants scrutiny, as it raises questions about how his party might handle the press if it were to return to power,” the club noted.
Acknowledging the authoritarian challenges faced by the media under the current government, the Mumbai Press Club stressed the need for constructive dialogue and accountability over dismissive rhetoric. “Journalists need support, not derision. Democracy demands respect for the media, not high-handed remarks from political leaders,” it concluded.
